1. The Epic of Beowulf

2. Anglo Saxon Background
From known as the “Dark Ages” due to the barbaric nature of the people and the bloody conflicts.
Characteristics of the Period:
Life was incredibly difficult
Enormous upheaval and change in England
Time of disastrous wars, both internal and external
Time of foreign invasion
Time of painful reconsolidation and emergence of England as a nation

3. Anglo Saxon Life Dominated by warfare
Man responsibilities of leader were protection and maintaining law and order
Most time spent in Mead Halls (bars)
Success was achieved through loyalty to leader and success in battle
Literature was a way to escape reality or give lord immortality
Thanes (men who fought for a king or lord)
Believed in the code of honor

4. Anglo Saxon People
Invaders from Germany and northern Europe came in 449 AD
Celts retreated primarily into Wales
Most of the men were fishermen and farmers
Greatest Anglo-Saxon king was Alfred the Great (died 899 AD)
He began the unification of England into one country through defense of the Vikings and language
Began a running history called The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Had Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People translated into English for people to study

5. Invasions
The Vikings began invading England in 790s – they were a fearsome group of seafarers from Denmark.
The Vikings looted, killed, and burned down entire villages.
In the South, they met Alfred the Great, who finally started pushing them back.
In 1042 a descendant of Alfred the Great, Edward the Confessor, took the throne and continued the battle against the Vikings.
The last invasion of Britain came in 1066 and was known as the Norman Conquest where William the Conqueror drove out the last of the Vikings and was crowned the King of England.

6. Anglo Saxon Civilization
Life after the Vikings:
Common language
Shared a heroic ideal; set of traditional values
Admired men of courage
Loyalty to leader and/or tribe
Rulers were very generous to those who were loyal
Shortness of life

7. Anglo Saxon Religion Beliefs changed over time (like many cultures)
Strong Pagan religion was marked by belief in fate (wyrd)
Their belief offered little hope so Christianity opened up new possibilities
New missionaries (thought to be Roman) arrived in 300 AD
Many people believed in Christianity but kept some Pagan beliefs
Monasteries became centers of intellectual, literary, artistic, and social activity
Greatest of the Christian Monks was Venerable Bede ( )

8. An epic is a long narrative poem that celebrates a hero’s deeds.
Definition of Epic …
An epic is a long narrative poem that celebrates a hero’s deeds.
Epics were usually based on historical facts.

9. Poetic Elements to Look Out for:
Kennings – a compound word, figure of speech, substituted for the usual name of a person or thing. An example – “the Almighty’s enemy” and “sin-stained demon” are both kennings used to describe Grendel
Stock epithets are adjectives used to characterize a person, place, or thing. For example, in Beowulf God is described as “the Lord of all Life” or “the Ruler of glory”. They provide a brief summary of major characters’ most essential qualities.

10. Poetic Elements (cont’d)
Allusions – references in a work of literature to a well-known person, place, event, written work, or work of art. Beowulf contains numerous biblical allusions.
Foreshadowing – the author drops subtle hints about plot developments to come later in the story.

11. Epic Hero An epic hero must have the following qualities:
Of noble birth or high position and often of great historical or legendary importance.
Exhibits characteristics that reflect important ideals of society.
Performs courageous, sometimes superhuman, deeds that reflect the values of the era.
Performs actions that often determine the fate of a nation or group of people.

12. Epic’s Literary Traits
Setting: is vast in scope, often involving more than one nation.
Plot: is complicated by supernatural beings or events and may involve a long & dangerous journey through foreign lands.
Dialogue: often includes long, formal speeches by major characters.
Theme: reflects timeless values, such as courage, honor, and encompasses universal ideas, such as good vs. evil or life and death.
Style: includes formal diction (word choice) and a serious tone.

13. Beowulf’s Provenance What we don’t know: who wrote it
when exactly it was written
how much, exactly, is based on historical truth

14. What we do know:
Beowulf is the oldest surviving English poem. It’s written in Old English (or Anglo-Saxon), which is the basis for the language we speak today.
Some of the characters in the poem actually existed.
The only copy of the manuscript was written sometime around the 11th century A.D. (1000’s), however…

15. The actual poem probably dates from the 8th century (700’s) or so, and…
The story may be set even earlier, around 500 A.D.
There are a lot of Christian references in the poem, but the characters and setting are Pagan…this means a monk probably translated it, but nobody really knows for sure.

16. So why wasn’t it written down in the first place?
This story was probably passed down orally for centuries before it was first written down.
It wasn’t until after the Norman Invasion (1066) that writing stories down became common in this part of the world.

17. Setting: Beowulf’s time and place
Although Beowulf was written in English, it is set in what is now Sweden, where a tribe called the Geats lived.
The story may take place as early as 400 or 500 A.D.

18. Some terms you’ll want to know
scop
A bard or story-teller.
The scop was responsible for praising deeds of past heroes, for recording history, and for providing entertainment

19. Some terms you’ll want to know
thane
A warrior
mead-hall
The large hall where the lord and his warriors slept, ate, held ceremonies, etc.

20. Themes and Important Aspects
Good vs. Evil
Religion: Christian and Pagan influences
The importance of wealth and treasure
The importance of the sea and sailing
The sanctity of the home
Fate
Loyalty and allegiance
Heroism and heroic deeds

21. Beowulf: Classics Summarized
Beowulf Synopsis This is brief animated synopsis of the epic we will be reading to give you an idea.